Joy

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
‭‭– Romans 15:13 ESV

At our Sunday gatherings, we've been making our way through the themes of Advent. This week, we lit the candle of Joy. Marcus explained that true joy isn't rooted in things, people, emotions or circumstances – it’s rooted in the God of hope. For the believer, our hope is in Christ. In Christ, we've been given an eternal and unwavering love, which He displayed by coming to earth, taking on human flesh, giving His life as a ransom for our sins, and rising from the dead. Christ can never be taken away from us – He is our JOY!

I love this quote from Ann Voskamp: "Joy doesn't negate all other emotions – Joy transcends all other emotions." Joy in Christ can permeate the darkest of days and supersede the greatest of times. I pray that we would come to deeply know and experience this joy today and in the days to come.